


Rights of Passage

by playfullips (dessertmeltdown)



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-14
Updated: 2012-01-14
Packaged: 2017-10-29 12:18:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/319815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dessertmeltdown/pseuds/playfullips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is how high school ends for Brian Kinney.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rights of Passage

It’s just another day to Brian.

His mother is acting like it’s a big deal, telling him that now he can work hard and become successful like she always knew he would. (Fucking great way she had of showing it when he was in school.) His father is patting him on the back telling him how he’s a man now that he’s off to college, and he’d better not fuck up his scholarship because Jack Kinney isn’t fucking paying that much money when he might just screw it up in the end.

His sister isn’t there, and he’s actually thankful for that, because he doesn’t think he could deal with the looks of utter boredom she would have on her face throughout and after the ceremony.

His mother is taking pictures now, that she’ll probably forget to have developed until one day an aunt or an uncle says “so, Brian, you graduated high school, huh? What’s it feel like?”

He’s trying to get away, glancing around the auditorium for Michael and his mother, who, no doubt, will be standing out in the crowd, but sees no sign of them. He tries to tune out his mother’s gloating, as if she had anything to do with him making it this far, and attempts to find someone who he can use as an excuse to get away from his mom and dad.

“Brian, are you even listening to me?”

His mother was talking to him? He hadn’t even heard her. He rarely does.

“What?” he snaps, but he doesn’t care. He’s moving out of the house in two weeks anyway.

“I said we’d better go if we want to make the Saturday service.”

Brian was hoping his graduation would cause his mother to allow him to miss Saturday service. After all, why the fuck does someone need church twice in one weekend? In Brian’s eyes, once is too many times.

“Actually, I have plans mom. Can’t make it.”

He knows it’s pointless to try, but he can’t resist. He and Michael had definite plans to go to Babylon tonight and celebrate by fucking every hot guy in the place. It would be much more interesting than church.

“Brian Kinney. You have not missed church for as long as you’ve been alive, and you aren’t going to start now.”

“Give the kid a break, Joan.”

Good old pop.

Brian’s mom shoots his father a glare, but eventually admits defeat and tells Brian he can miss today but there is no way she’s going to allow him to miss tomorrow.

He can’t wait until he’s out of that house.

He finally spots Michael and his mom, talking to a petite blonde woman, who he knows is Jennifer Taylor, even from behind.

He didn’t think she was going to be there. She didn’t really have a reason, after all. Not now.

“Hate to do this,” Brian begins in a tone that says he really doesn’t, “but I told Michael and his mom I’d go with them after the ceremony.”

And he’s off before his mother can argue.

“Justin didn’t feel up to it, but he told me to come and tell everyone hello. Have you see Brian?”

Brian hears Jennifer talking to Debbie as he walks up behind them. He hasn’t seen Jennifer Taylor since the morning after prom.

“Hi.”

This is awkward, and he knows that it should be. He was sure that she blamed him for what happened, even if she had told him otherwise.

“Brian. Justin wanted me to say hello for him.”

Brian isn’t sure what to say because talking to or about Justin isn’t something he’s done for three weeks. What do you say to someone after they get their head bashed in by a closeted, homophobic prick at your senior prom?

There isn’t much to say. Sorry doesn’t cut it.

He just nods.

“I think he’d really like to see you.”

Michael gives Brian a sympathetic look, and he fucking hates that look. Between Michael and Debbie he’s seen it more times in the last two weeks than he ever wants to again.

“I’ll see if I can find the time,” is all he says.

He doesn’t know if he can see Justin. Because when he thinks about Justin he sees baseball bats and white scarves covered in blood and a body lying on cold cement. He doesn’t know what seeing him would do, and he isn’t keen on finding out.

“Brian Kinney, you are going to go see that kid, and that’s final.”

Debbie. Always there to give him a kick in the ass.

“Ma, don’t.”

There’s that sympathetic look from Michael again and he really can’t take it.

“I have to go. My parents are waiting.”

And now he’s lying to them now. He really doesn’t feel like going to Babylon with Michael. The baths seem more appropriate. There’s less techno music and glitter. No thumpa thumpa beat to remind him that the last time he was there he was with Michael _and_ Justin.

He turns and walks away, intent on showing up at the Liberty Baths for an anonymous fuck to make him forget about everything because that’s the easiest way to deal when you sort of but not really boyfriend gets bashed in the head, spends 3 days in a coma, 2 weeks in the hospital, and hasn’t seen you since it all happened.

+++++

 **3 weeks and 1 night earlier**

Brian does not want to be here, but Michael and Justin were coming, and Babylon wasn’t quite as much fun without them. So he’s spending his Friday night in a hotel conference room that Emmett Honeycutt, that flamboyant junior, could have done a better job decorating, with a group of people that he really can’t stand, watching them dance to a song that he hates.

Justin finally manages to get him out of his seat after a good hour of asking when the fuck he can leave and go get drunk.

Justin pulls him up and onto the dance floor, and he wonders where Michael is because he could use some help in distracting Justin right now, but when the song starts he gives in and forgets that he’s supposed to be way too fucking cool to dance with his not really boyfriend at a dance full of people who already know they’re an item anyway. Or think they’re an item. Whatever.

And when the song ends it’s still quiet except for a few whispers, which Brian finds odd, since they’ve made out in the hallways before (until the asshole principal told them no one wanted to see that and they’d be suspended if they didn’t stop), yet somehow dancing was a lot worse. This is what they get for going to such a homophobic school.

It’s half an hour later when Brian finally managed to convince Justin that they would be really fucking hot at Babylon in their tuxes.

They never make it to Babylon

\-----

Brian isn’t sure what’s happening until he hears the crack. He sees Chris Hobbs before anything else, but he’s not thinking or he can’t think. He isn’t sure. And when the bat hits his world goes black. All he remembers is hitting Hobbs in the leg with the bat and then falling down to his knees in front of Justin, trying to make sure Justin is breathing.

He is. Barely.

Brian doesn’t know who called 911, but he thinks it was Michael. He’s sitting in the back of the ambulance, listening to them talk, but he doesn’t know what they’re saying. All he can here is the beep of the machine and his own thoughts saying ’please be okay. please be okay.’

Suddenly he’s standing outside of the room that he isn’t allowed inside when Jennifer Taylor shows up to ask him what happened, and he doesn’t know when Michael got there. He’s glad he did because the last thing he wants is to do relive what just happened.

Jennifer comes up to him and hugs him tightly, tells him Justin’s going to be okay because Justin is strong. She knows he’s going to make it. And Brian really wants to believe her.

+++++

 **Present**

Brian has every intent on going to baths, so when he’s suddenly in front of Jennifer Taylor’s small condo he isn’t sure how he got there. Taking to Justin isn’t on his to-do list, but maybe he should.

He knows he should.

He gets out of the car and slowly walks up the driveway to the door and rings the bell. Maybe Justin will be sleeping.

But he isn’t because he answers the door and he’s obviously shocked to see Brian standing there.

“Brian. I haven’t seen you since….”

“Prom night. I know. I’ve been busy.”

“I figured.”

And Brian knows that Justin knows he’s lying. Justin can always see right through him. He fucking hates that.

“Do you want to come in?”

Brian doesn’t, not really. That means they’re going to talk, and he isn’t sure he’s ready for that.

“Yeah, okay.”

He hasn’t been inside the new place. He was inside their old house, once, right after Jennifer and Craig Taylor got a call from the school telling them that Brian and Justin had been caught half naked in the locker room after gym class. Craig Taylor had vehemently stated that his son was not gay and was not to ever see Brian again. Apparently that was the beginning of the end for Jennifer and Craig.

“I’m feeling a lot better. I was going to come the ceremony, but I’m a little…” he trails off.

“A little what?”

“I don’t really like crowds. I get weird in them. I’m sure it’ll pass.”

Brian nods. This shouldn’t be so strange. Seeing Justin again should be comforting. Should make him feel better. But he knew it wouldn’t, and it’s not. It’s just strange and it hurts.

“I’m s--”

“Sorry’s bullshit, remember?”

A slight smirk forms on Justin’s lips, and somehow that’s what ends up comforting Brian.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“So, how was the ceremony.”

“The exact same way we all knew it would be. Claire didn’t show up, I’m sure dad was half drunk, and mom acted like she actually gave a shit. Debbie showed up in the loudest fucking outfit she could find and embarrassed the shit out of Michael when they called his name. It was pretty fucking hilarious.”

Justin laughs, and now Brian feels even better because even though he hates to admit it, he missed that laugh.

“You going out tonight?”

“I was going to Babylon with Michael, but..”

He doesn’t want to say ‘Babylon isn’t the same without you,’ so he doesn’t.

“Yeah.”

Justin knows what he means.

“Justin…”

Justin looks up, surprised by Brian’s change in tone, even though Brian thinks he should be used to it by now.

He wants to say he’s sorry he hasn’t come around in the last three weeks, but he doesn’t. Instead he walks close to Justin and pulls him close, hugging him tightly, even though he knows Justin might not be comfortable with the contact. (Jennifer told Debbie that he was having trouble with human contact. Brian and Michael heard them talking.) But Justin clings back, and it feels good to Brian, to have Justin here. To know for a fact he’s okay.

He finally pulls away even though he could stay that way as long as he needs to.

“I should go.”

“Yeah. Mom will be home soon.”

They both know Jennifer Taylor doesn’t give a rat’s ass if Brian’s there, but it’s an excuse, and Justin knows Brian is looking for one.

“Yeah. Justin?”

“Yeah?”

“I won’t wait three weeks next time.”

And then Brian’s back in his car driving toward the Novotny’s because he sure as hell doesn’t need to have to deal with Joan and Jack Kinney right now.


End file.
